Perfectionism: when striving for perfect hurts
StressKey points
- Perfectionism among young people rose from 1989 to 2016.
- Socially prescribed perfectionism rose the most.
- It is linked to anxiety, depression and burnout.
- Self-compassion is linked to lower anxiety and depression.
What the research shows
Rising perfectionism. A meta-analysis of 164 samples with 41,641 college students from the U.S., Canada and the UK found that self-oriented, socially prescribed and other-oriented perfectionism all increased between 1989 and 2016, with the largest increase in socially prescribed perfectionism (Curran & Hill, 2019).
Self-compassion. A meta-analysis found a large association between higher self-compassion and lower depression, anxiety and stress (MacBeth & Gumley, 2012).
Burnout. Perfectionism is one of the factors linked to burnout, which has physical and psychological consequences (Salvagioni et al., 2017).
In practice
- Separate your self-worth from your achievements.
- Practice self-compassion: speak to yourself as you would to a friend.
- Set realistic goals and deadlines.
- Notice and reward progress, not just results.
Frequently asked questions
Is perfectionism always bad?
High standards can be healthy. The problem is self-worth that depends on flawless performance and harsh self-criticism.
How do I start loosening perfectionism?
Try "good enough" on low-stakes tasks, set time limits and notice that small mistakes rarely have big consequences.
Sources
- Curran et al. (2019). Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences from 1989 to 2016.. Psychological Bulletin 145(4):410-429. doi:10.1037/bul0000138
- MacBeth et al. (2012). Exploring compassion: A meta-analysis of the association between self-compassion and psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review 32(6):545-552. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2012.06.003
- Salvagioni et al. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PLOS ONE 12(10):e0185781. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0185781
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